


Shatterdome Coffee

by Bearzywrites



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Coffeeshop AU, Drunken Shenanigans, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-17
Updated: 2013-11-17
Packaged: 2018-01-01 20:21:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1048161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bearzywrites/pseuds/Bearzywrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newt was weird. There were no two ways about it. He talked too fast, had no concept of personal space, and knew way too much about everything for his own good. Most people didn’t mind though. He was a barista, and nobody cared if he had aliens from bad science fiction movies tattooed up and down his arms. Nobody ever looked up from their phones to notice the gleam of deep intelligence behind his eyes. </p>
<p>Nobody so far, at least.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shatterdome Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Un edited and completely pointless coffee shop AU that I've been hoarding since before Pacific Rim left theatres. I did originally plan to make this larger, but I didn't have much in the way of time, so I sort of just left it. Have fun, and feel free to comment etc.

“You done with this?” An arm with the sleeve rolled to the elbow and covered in colourful tattoos crossed Hermann’s vision and lifted his empty coffee cup.   
“Quite.” He didn’t look up from his papers, just added “Another wouldn’t go amiss either.”   
“Long black, no sugar, coming right up.”   
Squinting at his equations, he barely noticed the new cup replacing the old one until the barista spoke up again from next to his shoulder.   
“Astrophysics, right? Cool.” Hermann looked up, startled to see a man only slightly younger than himself peering over his shoulder through glasses with thick black rims. His nametag read Newt, though Hermann assumed that was a nickname.   
“What do astrophysics mean to a barista, hmm?”   
“Not much” the man admitted with a shrug. “Xenobiology is more my field. But there isn’t much demand for that right now.” He turned and wandered back to the counter, leaving Hermann sitting in shock. Clearly there was more to this “Newt” than met the eyes. 

“Morning, Dr Gottlieb!” Newt called out from behind the counter as Hermann entered the empty shop. It was six am, two weeks after their first meeting, and the first time that Hermann had been into the shop since then. How this man knew his name, he was sure he didn’t know. He forced a smile.   
“To-go, this morning please. Long-“  
“Long black, large, no sugar. On it.” Newt cut him off, picking up a cup and scrawling a nearly illegible order on it and sliding it over to his co-worker.   
“Okay, that is enough. How do you know my name, let alone remember my order?”   
“You spent three hours sitting by the window a couple of weeks back, going over your notes. And if I couldn’t remember a long black after making it for one guy six times, I think I’d be out of a job.”   
“That’s all very well, but how did you know my name?”   
“Ah! That reminds me! You left your coat!”   
“I- What?”   
“Just grabbing that coat from the back, Tendo. Won’t be a sec!” Newt swung through the door behind him and returned in what seemed like half a second with Hermann’s jacket. “Hermann Gottlieb. That’s you, I assume? It was on your chair.”   
“I- Yes. Yes, it’s mine, It’s been, ah” Hermann pushed his glasses up his nose with his free hand. “a busy month.”   
“No kidding, what with the Mars discovery. Some people are saying first contact within the year. Those people are delusional, but still, exciting times ahead.” He handed over the jacket, along with a steaming disposable cup. “You have a nice day, Doctor, and don’t forget to come again.” Hermann found himself walking out the door, still bewildered by his second encounter with the excitable and surprisingly knowledgeable barista at Shatterdome Coffee. 

“I think he likes me.” Newton grinned at his co worker, Tendo Choi and stretched his arms above his head in a yawn. “Did you see his face? Awestruck.”   
“More like dumbstruck, you idiot. He probably only processed one word in ten. You need to talk slower.”   
“You’re just jealous.”   
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, as neither of you are my type.”   
“No, your type is married and female. I cannot believe you haven’t had your ass kicked fatally yet.”   
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way, brother.”   
“And a bored housewife, apparently.” Newt muttered.  
“What was that?”  
“Nothing, nothing.” The bespectacled man flashed a grin and busied himself cleaning the espresso machine ready for the rest of the day. 

“I could never get interested in physics. Too much like maths for me.” Hermann started, though he wondered why. It had been a month since he started frequenting Shatterdome, and Newton still had no concept of not interrupting as he worked.   
“Don’t you have something you ought to be doing?”   
“You’d think so, but-“  
“Newt!” Tendo called out from behind the counter. “Flirt later! We’re busy!”   
“Yeah, okay, I have something I ought to be doing. Holler if you need a refill!” He winked and hopped back to his spot at the register. Hermann blinked. One day, he vowed, one day he would be able to understand the hurricane on two legs that was Newton Geiszler. He was puzzled by Tendo’s words though. He’d told his employee to stop flirting. Newt hadn’t been flirting, had he? Hermann was shocked to find that he had no idea. At least, not until he turned to pick up his coffee and found a phone number scribbled on the napkin under it, and the words “Text me or something, we never manage to finish a conversation in this place.”   
Hermann had to admit, he wouldn’t mind a proper conversation with the mysterious barista-slash-xenobiologist, but he wasn’t sure that he would know what to say. So he put the napkin in his pocket, drained his coffee and walked out of the café without a backward glance, just in case. 

“Maybe he didn’t like you that much after all?” They were cleaning up for the night, and Newt had barely talked since Hermann had walked out of the Shatterdome two weeks ago.   
“Just don’t, man. I’m not in the mood.”   
“Yeah, no kidding.” Tendo muttered as he wiped down a table. As usual, however, Newt had gone on talking even after he said he’d stop. Regretfully, Tendo reminded himself that he had brought up the subject.   
“I mean, I don’t blame him, I probably have at least 3 behavioural disorders, and I completely ignored any need for personal space, but he could have at least made an excuse!” Newt had stopped in the middle of mopping down the wooden floors and was gesturing wildly with both arms.   
“Forget him, man, it’s been weeks and you haven’t even seen him. C’mon, we’ll go out tonight. There’s this new bar down the road that I haven’t been to yet. Cherno Alpha, run by this Russian couple. Or so I heard, anyway.”   
“I guess it couldn’t hurt.”   
“Hell no! It’ll be great!” 

“You’re kidding me with the bow tie, right?” Newton raised an eyebrow. “You look like the Doctor.”   
“Hermann doesn’t…”  
“Not that Doctor. Oh never mind. Are we going in?”   
“Lead on!”   
“Dork”   
“Oi, I’m still your boss, and it’s no worse than your leather jacket.”   
“Hey! I look like a rock star! Alright then, boss. Your round, I believe.” They’d arrived in the bar, Cherno Alpha, and it looked exactly as military (and badass, Newt thought to himself) as it sounded. The floors were linoleum, probably, but painted to look like they were made of sheet metal. The walls were lined with propaganda style posters for various drinks, and the bar was lit from behind with a greenish yellow fluorescent light. A blonde couple (the man with a dark brown beard) stood behind a bar, while a young Japanese girl with blue streaks in her hair whipped from table to table, bringing drinks and taking empties. Tendo guided newt over to a couple of free seats at the bar. It wasn’t until they’d ordered that Newt looked around and noticed that hanging over the seat next to him was a familiar green jacket. He nudged his friend.   
“Dude. No.”  
“What?” Tendo’s face was the picture of innocence.  
“No. You are not doing this.”  
“What?!” Newt pointed to the seat next to him.   
“Dude!” Tendo laughed.   
“Man’s got to do what a man has got to do. Dude’s been deliberately coming during your breaks for two weeks. There’s something up there, and this is the easiest way to find out what.” Their drinks arrived and he waved before slipping off his stool and wandering over to a couple of older guys who looked like they might be military, on the other side of the room. “Ciao!” 

Newt swore, downing his drink and getting off his stool to leave. He wasn’t looking where he was going as he headed for the exit, so he didn’t notice that Hermann was standing in his way until he’d already tripped over his cane.   
“Fuck!”   
“My sentiments exactly. I should have suspected that when Tendo told me to meet him here tonight that he had some sort of plot.”   
“Shit. Shit, shit, shit.”   
“You’re usually more verbose. Is this a blessing in disguise or are you merely inebriated?”   
“I’ve only had one drink.” Newt looked at the ceiling in a silent plea before looking directly at Hermann and sighing. “But I could use another. Join me? Wouldn’t do to chase you out of a second place.”   
“As I saw it, you were the one leaving. However, the offer is appreciated. We never did finish a conversation, either. Perhaps you could explain how a xenobiologist ended up working in a coffee shop.” Newt just stared at the other man in shock.   
“You actually… want to have a drink with me?”   
“Well…” Hermann pushed his glasses up his nose, and for a moment Newt was scared that he was going to say no. “Yes, yes, I believe I do.”   
“No excuses? No Spock-like dismissal of it as ‘only logical’? Hermann, I do believe this is breakthrough!”   
“You used my first name.”  
“We’ve known each other two months, and this is a strictly unprofessional setting. I’m not going to call you Doctor Gottlieb.”   
“That is… fair enough. Who is Spock?”   
“Are you fucking kidding me?” They sat back at the bar.   
“Is this a popular culture reference, because I’m afraid I never could keep up with those.”   
“You know, I’m not even surprised. Star Trek. Google it when you get home, or something.”   
“I believe you were going to educate me on your career?”   
“Oh yeah. We’re going to need a drink or five for that one.” 

“And apparently the tattoos are ‘unconducive to a learning environment’. So it was this or nothing. At least until first contact. Then I might be of genuine use. As it is, I have a worthless doctorate.” Newt had finished two drinks over the telling of his story, which hadn’t taken as long as he claimed it would, and it was beginning to show. He clapped Hermann on the good leg in slow heavy strokes. “And what about yourself? Are you..” he gestured vaguely with the hand holding his drink, the other still on Hermann’s leg. “I dunno, are you doing what you wanted?”   
“I am fortunate in that my particular brand of theoretical mathematics, astrophysics, as you rightly guessed when we first met, was in high demand when I finished my doctorate, and has remained so ever since.” He gently nudged Newton’s hand off his knee, only to find the arm around his shoulder.  
“Well good for you!”   
“Perhaps I should have watched more closely how much you had been drinking…” Hermann muttered, more to himself than anything.  
“You’re not my mother, Hermann, that would be weird. Just drink with me. It’ll be fun.”   
“You know, I do believe this is the first time I have been peer pressured into drinking by someone I did not consider an enemy.”  
“Does that mean you’ll get another drink?”   
“I suppose it does.”   
“Awesome!” 

At around two am, though neither scientist was really aware of what the time was, they found themselves stumbling into Shatterdome Coffee.   
“C’mon” Newton stage whispered, not that there was any reason to do so. “I live upstairs, you can crash on my couch.”   
“I would-shit-wouldn’t like to impose” Hermann half tripped up the stairs behind his new friend.   
“Don’t worry about it.” Making a flippant gesture with the keys in his hand, Newt almost lost them, and his balance, but caught himself just in time on the wall. With just as much fumbling, he let them in, and moved to make coffee while Hermann slumped onto the couch.   
“Actually, I’ll take the couch, Hermann, you take the bed. You’ll roll funny on your leg, or something, otherwise, and the morning will totally suck.”   
“I believe it is too late, I’m seated now, I’m not moving.”   
“Fuck, Hermann. Alright, well, this is for your own good.” Newt moved over to the couch and snaked his arm around the other man’s waist. Hoisting him to his feet with a grunt, he half carried him into the bedroom, and down onto the bed. For an awkward moment he was poised over Hermann’s face, but it soon became even more awkward when the drunken man decided that it was a prime time to steal a kiss.   
Their mouths met suddenly, and not at all gracefully, with all the lack of art that comes with too much alcohol and decisions made in the spur of the moment. The kiss was over almost as soon as it had begun, but Newton was beginning to sober up, and he disentangled himself, recognising that if he didn’t, he may do something he regretted.   
“C’mon Hermann, just go to sleep. We can do that sometime when we’re not bone dead tired and drunk.”   
“I take that as a promise, you know?”   
“Yeah, yeah.” Newt threw a blanket over the doctor and removed his glasses carefully. “See you in the morning, Dr Gottlieb.”  
“I thought we’d agreed to use first names?”   
“Hermann, go the fuck to sleep.” He paused a moment in the doorway, but it was all he needed. Apparently, Hermann could drift off at a moment’s notice. 

Newt woke up to see a note on the coffee table in front of him, and with a pain in his back from the worn out couch. As with everything about Hermann, the note was oddly formal and stiff.   
Newton. It read. I apologise for my intrusion last night, and thank you for your hospitality, particularly the use of your bed. I suppose I shall see you at some point in the near future, but for now, goodbye.   
“Fuck.” He looked at his watch. 8:28. “Fuck!” Newt got off the couch laboriously, head pounding. He struggled into his jeans and a t-shirt before going downstairs.   
“Newt! You good, man?” Tendo’s grin was so wide that Newt just knew today would be agony.  
“Not so loud...” He patted his boss on the shoulder on his way past.   
“Good night then?” Yeah, he was definitely being laughed at.  
“Could have been worse. No thanks to you. Where did you fuck off to?”   
“Couple of old buddies from my year of service, Pentecost and Hansen. They recommended the bar to me.”   
“I hate you, you know that?”  
“I know.” Tendo shoved a tea towel at him. “But I saw the Doc come downstairs an hour or so ago, so it’s not all bad. Now go do the dishes, it’s too quiet in here for you to be out front.”  
“It wasn’t-“ Newt sighed and gave up. His head hurt too much to bother fighting with his boss. 

Two days passed before Hermann could work up the courage to go back to Shatterdome Coffee. He’d spent the first day nursing a headache and wishing he was a forgetful drunk. The second, he’d spent watching his cellphone to see if maybe, just maybe, Newt would make the first move. When he didn’t, Hermann straightened his jacket, and with determination in his eye, decided to go to Shatterdome and talk to Newt about what had happened… Tomorrow. 

“Hermann! You have a nice weekend?” Newt’s eyes lit up as Hermann entered the café on Monday morning.   
“I though we agreed that you’d call me Doctor, Newton.” The words were half a joke, half just to gauge the reaction, and a smirk twisted his mouth as he said them.   
“Aww, Hermann, I thought we were a little past that, or did I imagine Saturday morning?” All Hermann could do at that statement was raise his eyebrows in disbelief. Tendo let out a wolf whistle. It was quiet in the café so early in the morning, so only one or two newspaper-reading business men and women raised their heads to see what was going on.   
“Oi, Newt, take it upstairs, would you?” Tendo jerked a thumb behind him. “No need to disturb the customers with your weird and confusing relationships.”   
“I- Uh-“ Newt stammered.   
“Oh come on.” Hermann rolled his eyes and let himself behind the counter.   
This time when they walked upstairs, it was with a lot less stumbling, or laughter. An uncomfortable silence hung over them as Newt unlocked the door and let them inside his apartment for the second time in three days. 

In the light of the morning, the apartment seemed smaller and shabbier than it had. The walls were a faded green, and the floor was old wood covered in rugs that seemed almost as old. A small kitchen sitting in the corner was littered with coffee mugs, as was the small table in front of the couch.   
“Sorry, uh, I’m a total slob, I’ll just…” Newt ran a hand through his hair and rushed to pick up the mugs and start cleaning.   
“Quite alright, quite alright.” Hermann was nervous, muttering, his twitching betraying him.   
“So I should just, sit, or something?” Newt began pacing in the small space. “I don’t know what to do here… It’s been a while, and-and I don’t even know what’s going on.” He rounded on Hermann. “Is anything going on?” The doctor gestured with his cane for a moment before sighing.   
“I am not… entirely certain.” He seemed reluctant to say the words. “May I sit?”   
“Of course, of course. Sorry, I should have thought. Sit, sit.”   
“Thank you. As to your one direct question in that monologue… I am still not certain. When- When I-“ He swallowed, leg still twitching. “When I kissed you, I was inebriated.” He held up a hand, stopping Newt from interrupting. “That, doesn’t mean I did not genuinely want to do so. Or that I do not still want to do so.” He remained looking at his hands sitting in his lap, still twitching madly. 

An arm with the sleeve rolled to the elbow and covered in colourful tattoos crossed Hermann’s vision and touched covered his hands.   
“Is that so?” Normally, the words would have sounded cocky, especially coming from Newton Geiszler, but they came out soft and, unexpectedly, comforting. Hermann looked up into his friend’s face. Grey eyes looked into his, not with any emotion beyond a fondness, but it was exactly what Hermann wanted to see, so he closed his eyes, and leaned forward and let Newt’s coffee flavoured lips catch his own.


End file.
